RIP Bourbon McDee

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It’s with great sadness that I heard about the death of Black Rock Ranger Bourbon (Andy McDonald) by his own hand.

Bourbon and I served the Burning Man community for decades, where he was an empowering and steadying influence, always providing a can-do attitude and steadfast attention during shifts.

Bourbon served off-playa too. In the United States Coast Guard he was a shipboard intelligence officer doing border patrol. At the USCG Pacific Rescue Coordination Center he was an Operations Controller/Search and Rescue planner. Bourbon was also a law enforcement maritime trainer.

There was more to Bourbon than compassion under the collar of authhority. He worked as a Sous Chef at the Hotel Seeburg, in Luzern Switzerland, and was Lead Prep Cook at Purple Cafe & Wine Bar, in Seattle.